Liverpool legend: 'It breaks my heart' to see Xabi Alonso running the Spain midfield

[dww]

09 July 2010 [Docklands]

LIVERPOOL legend Phil Thompson says selling Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso will go down as one of Rafa Benitez's biggest mistakes.

Alonso, 29, has been an integral member of the Spain team that has marched into Sunday's World Cup final with Holland on Sunday.

And Thompson says it is almost too painful to watch Alonso now playing such a pivotal role for the World Cup favourites.

"It was a huge mistake not to cajole him to stay, not to apologise for what had gone," said the former European Cup-winning captain.

"It was a huge mistake to sell him. He was man of the match without a doubt against Germany. There were a lot of great performances but the likes of Xavi and Iniesta need Alonso to feed them the ball. He's making them tick at the moment.

"It's not only Alonso as a person that we miss at Liverpool, but Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have suffered because he always looked forward to them. It breaks my heart to see him playing now.

"Now we have Mascherano and Lucas who are too similar and play more sideways and backwards."

Thompson doubts Torres - without a goal so far at the World Cup - will start against Holland, having been left out for Pedro against Germany.

"He looks like he's had a fractured, stop-start season and injuries have not helped him," said the former Liverpool assistant.

"It would not surprise me if he doesn't play on Sunday as they did look a better unit without him."

Thompson was speaking as an ambassador for the Standard Chartered Great City Race, which is taking place in the Square Mile on July 15, from 7.15.

Hundreds of people are expected to fill the closed streets of the City, with Canary Wharf workers from the likes of KPMG, Barclays Capital and BP among them.

[dww]

In other circumstances this wouldn't be worth it's own thread but my mate did the interview

[Craig_H]

Thommo is spot on. That was Rafa's biggest mistake in his time at LFC, and if he'd just swallowed his pride and admitted he was wrong, who knows what might've happened.

[Mostar]

Thommo is spot on. That was Rafa's biggest mistake in his time at LFC, and if he'd just swallowed his pride and admitted he was wrong, who knows what might've happened.

Without the doubt. Just like Shaggy he was my favorite player by a mile and to see him leave the way he did was truly heartbreaking..

Every time I see him play now I cannot help it but to feel deeply sad..

[EwarWoo]

I still can't watch him play without a hint of sadness. The day he left I was devastated.

But unless Roy can find a way to get the funds to buy him back we have to live with it and move on

[Craig_H]

I dont think Madrid would be as stupid as we were, and sell him now.

[badpiggy]

Didn't think he played particularly well against Germany but even on a **** day he pings passes that noone on our team at the moment can and he turned into an excellent DM under Rafa and that part of his game is always there. My favourite player of the last 6 years bar Torres. Totally understand why he left. Would probably do the same if some half-brained ****wit was being publicly head-hunted to do my job. Gareth Cunting Barry cost us our most important player. And all talk of systems and the options Gareth Cunting Barry would've given us will never change my mind. In Xabi we had the complete midfielder and there's only a handful of them in the world. Massive mistake.

[BillobShaisley]

Great player, he's right about that. Shame he wanted to leave.

I dont think Xavi and Iniesta need him that badly and Lucas is a very different player to Masch. Thommo is a great bloke but a bit senile when it comes to football maters these days, talks a lot of ****.

[barnes10]

he's been pretty average at madrid tho.

rafa was cold but probabaly correct when he decided to sell xabi imho. the fact that he had his best season in his career after that is not rafa's fault is it. 20-20 hindsight anyone? xabi could have had many motivations - playing for a move based on wanting a different country/club/manager/income tax rates..., playing for his lfc place, playing for his spain place, proving rafa wrong etc etc. all of the above would have motivated xabi.

if rafa did not try to convince xabi to stay last summer then clearly that is a huge mistake, as tommo says. even then, 30 mill cash with a promise you'll be able to spend it is 30 mill cash. nothing else was an error tho.

[Fierce]

Not sure it's absolutely certain that it was our choice that he left, it's not like you'd need to be forced out to sign for Real Madrid

Agreed about his leaving crippling us though, whatever the reason

[Rafa Justice]

Regardless, he knew a year before he left that he was looking at his last season, then left it late to hand in a transfer request giving us less time and options for a replacement. That's unacceptable.

**** him. He's not LFC any more, neither is Rafa, it's way past time to move on.

[el matador]

i dont have to make my feelings clear on alonso because his face is my avatar !

But his departure left me really sad because he was such a pivotal player for us. Some fans would look at the money and think its good money for a defensive midfielder but xabi was the complete midfield player.

He was outstanding defensively, he was 100% a team player, he always picked the right pass at the right time and he was probably at the heart of 90% of our attacks. Our entire team was built around xabi and not gerrard or torres. Its no surprise that gerrard had a **** season without him.

Players like him are a one off and that's why madrid paid that much money when other more 'glamorous' players were available.

Since he left he looks a little leaner - not in terms of fat but less muscular. He looks a yard quicker and gets forward a lot more than he used to for us. For all that rafa did great he ****ed up by treating alonso like **** ultimately selling him.

[EwarWoo]

I dont think Madrid would be as stupid as we were, and sell him now.

I don't think they would either. But allow a drunken man to dream will ya

It still amazes me. I'll be the first to admit I know a fraction of what most do on here about the beautiful game, but most were so blasse about him leaving.

Rose tinties are an amazing thing.

[Vermilion]

Not sure it's absolutely certain that it was our choice that he left, it's not like you'd need to be forced out to sign for Real Madrid

Agreed about his leaving crippling us though, whatever the reason

So very very true, some fans are living under the illusion he'd have stayed if he had'nt had that run in with Rafa, even though he played many many games after that with no problem. Once Madrid came in...he was always going to go. imo, not a hope in hell of stopping him, apart from turning him into a very very unhappy underperforming prisoner to his contract, which to be honest, i would'nt have liked to see happen, he'd been moaning about money/tax too iirc, i just think he wanted a change in his football life before he was past his best, and as i've said, once Madrid came in...he was keen as mustard, and what Spanish player would'nt be.

[Exiled_red]

I still can't watch him play without a hint of sadness. The day he left I was devastated.

But unless Roy can find a way to get the funds to buy him back we have to live with it and move on

I miss Xabi